Visiting Argentina: when to go, what to see and itineraries

With around three million residents, and over fifteen million in its metropolitan area, Buenos Aires deserves three to four nights. San Telmo and its Sunday fair, La Boca and the colourful façades of Caminito, Recoleta Cemetery where Eva Perón rests, and the historic cafés of Avenida de Mayo cover the essentials. Tango, on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, comes alive in milongas that rarely get going before 11 pm. The fast ferry to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay crosses the Río de la Plata in just over an hour.

About 1 hour 45 minutes by air from Buenos Aires, Iguazú Falls stretch for nearly 3 kilometres along the border with Brazil, with some 275 drops including the Devil's Throat. The Argentine side, with walkways above and below the falls, needs a full day; the Brazilian side gives the panoramic view in half a day. Two nights in Puerto Iguazú let you see both banks. The flow is most impressive in the rainy season, but the site can be visited year-round.

At the foot of the Andes, San Carlos de Bariloche is the base for the Lake District, about 2 hours 20 minutes by air from Buenos Aires. The Circuito Chico, a loop of around sixty kilometres, and the Cerro Campanario viewpoint offer the classic views over Lake Nahuel Huapi. The Seven Lakes Route links Villa La Angostura to San Martín de los Andes over just over 100 kilometres. Allow three to four days. The southern summer, from December to March, suits hiking, and winter brings skiing on Cerro Catedral.

Just over 3 hours by air from Buenos Aires, El Calafate gives access to Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO site. The Perito Moreno glacier, 80 kilometres from town, is viewed from walkways facing an ice front around 60 metres high. Three hours north by bus, El Chaltén is the hikers' village at the foot of Fitz Roy, with free, waymarked trails starting right from the village. Aim for November to March: outside that window, many services close.

At the end of National Route 3, the country's southernmost city is about 3 hours 30 minutes by air from Buenos Aires. A boat trip on the Beagle Channel, past sea lion islets and Les Éclaireurs lighthouse, takes half a day, and Tierra del Fuego National Park can be explored on foot or partly aboard the End of the World Train. Ushuaia is also the main departure port for Antarctic cruises, from November to March. Two to three nights are enough without a cruise, with changeable weather even in midsummer.

A UNESCO site, the Valdés Peninsula is visited from Puerto Madryn, about 2 hours by air from Buenos Aires via Trelew. Southern right whales come to calve from June to December, with peak sightings from September to November out of Puerto Pirámides. Elephant seals and sea lions occupy the beaches year-round, while the Magellanic penguin colony at Punta Tombo, further south, is present from September to April. Three days let you combine both sites, nearly 200 kilometres apart.

The north-west shows a completely different face: adobe villages, candelabra cacti and multicoloured mountains. Salta, about 2 hours by air from Buenos Aires, serves as the base. The Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO-listed valley, and the village of Purmamarca can be reached in a day, as can the Salinas Grandes, perched at around 3,400 metres. To the south, the road to Cafayate crosses red sandstone canyons and leads to torrontés vineyards. Allow five to six days in the dry season, from April to November, and take the altitude seriously.

At the foot of the Andes, Mendoza produces most of Argentina's malbec. The bodegas of Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley can be visited by bike or with a driver, often by reservation, and two to three days are enough to see several. The international road to Chile runs past Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas at 6,961 metres, whose Laguna Horcones viewpoint makes an easy day trip. The harvest, from February to April, peaks with the Vendimia festival in early March.